February 1st: Hotel Chocolat You Smoothie

Listen up folks!!! It's now February and that can mean only one thing! Yes you guessed it ... it's time for some Valentines Day chocolates you lovebirds :D

As has come customary with every holiday season, Hotel Chocolat have filled my boots full of their latest offerings. Some of their Valentines favourites are back with avengence (See HERE), though I'm sure you will be glad to hear that I've been sent some of their new items they've created for 2012.

Starting things off with the JCM Valentines coverage I present to you the 'You Smoothie' slab. This 200.0g chocolate behemoth came described as *draws in breathe* 'a fusion of strawberry white chocolate and milk chocolate. Decorated with solid white chocolate mini-hearts, freeze dried strawberry pieces, a white chocolate truffle and naturally coloured white chocolate swirl' ... *exhales*. The description was a little long-winded but it looked and smelt sensational. Fruity, colourful and just straight up nice to look at - it was again one of those chocolates I felt guilty breaking apart.

Funnily enough my guilty feelings didn't quite put my family and I off tucking in :D So what can I say about the taste that I haven't attributed to Hotel Chocolat previously!? Well ... nothing - in line with all expectations it was utterly delicious. The milk chocolate was creamy, and the white chocolate even more so! The strawberry flavouring and freeze dried pieces established a delightful red fruit juicyness and importantly in a manner that was refreshingly natural. Now, though I would love to say it was all good, but it unfortunately wasn't quite so as the bane of confectionery life made a very unwelcome appearance - popping candy. Indeed, just to spoil the amazing mouth feel of the thick melting chocolate, the unnecessary aforementioned created that horrible crackling, fizzy sensation at the back of my throat. It wasn't a total spoiler by any stretch of the imagination, but had it not been in there I would have enjoyed this slab a whole lot more.

Overall if unlike me you aren't sensitive to the popping candy you will likely be very pleased with this slab. Unsurprisingly the chocolate is great quality and the strawberry is implemented as well as it could have been. Add in to the mix that it looks fun and is reasonably priced at only £7.50 (See HERE), and we have ourselves a valentines day winner. I would happily recommend.